|
Impressions 2007 |
|
|
|
|
Preview |
|
|
|
|
Preview |
|
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
19.08.2008 |
 The Menuhin Festival is going to present its first major symphonic concert this week. One month after the commencement of the festival’s 52nd edition preparations have been made to welcome the London Symphony Orchestra and violinist Leonidas Kavakos under the direction of Valery Gergiev, the ideal conductor for this event: two evenings of Russian music. Also on this week’s programme are two outstanding chamber music concerts: the Amati Quartet (Mendelssohn, Schumann, Dvorak) in Saanen on Wednesday 20 August and the Mosaïques Quartet (Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Lanner, Webern) at Château-d’Oex on Thursday 21 August. And don’t forget the “rising stars” matinee with pianist Vytis Sakuras at the church in Gstaad on Saturday 23 August, nor the concert on Sunday August 24 at 11.30 o’clock in the tent featuring the Menuhin Festival’s amateur orchestra, “Play Along”, performing works studied and rehearsed during the week.
The week’s highlights
Vollständiges Programm
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
10.08.2008 |
 Als Auftakt zu dieser dritten Festivalwoche kommt Beethoven im idyllischen Rahmen der Kirche Lauenen gleich zweifach zu Ehren. Nach dem Opus 18 vom letzten Jahr spielt das Leipziger Streichquartett am Dienstag 12. und Mittwoch 13. August die Quartette aus den sogenannten «mittleren Jahren» des Genies aus Bonn (op. 59, 74, 95 und 127). Am nächsten Tag wird der Deutschschweizer Humorist Emil Steinberger am Rande eines «LachsemiNarrs», das seine Lebensgefährtin Niccel am 14. und 15. August durchführt, die Wände des Landhaus Saanen zum Wackeln bringen: Er präsentiert sein Stück «EMIL – Drei Engel!», bei dem man im Durchschnitt gut 200 mal lacht! Am Freitag werden die Festivalbesucher zum ersten Mal in diesem Sommer ins Festivalzelt Gstaad geladen, um zweifellos einen der Glanzpunkte der Veranstaltung zu erleben: «Die Fledermaus» von Johann Strauss, inszeniert von Wolfgang Gratschmaier, mit einer erklecklichen Palette ganz grosser Stimmen, darunter Noëmi Nadelmann, Malin Hartelius und Angelika Kirschschlager. Die Liebhaber des Gesangs erwartet übrigens am Samstag Abend ein weiterer Leckerbissen, und zwar in einem kleineren und ganz und gar ungewöhnlichen Rahmen: Im Gipfelrestaurant Botta – Glacier 3000 oberhalb Les Diablerets haben sie die Gelegenheit, zu einem Fondue chinoise Noëmi Nadelmann mit Stücken von Bernstein und Gershwin zu hören. Ebenfalls am Samstag Abend, 2000 Meter tiefer unten, gehört die Bühne der Kirche Saanen der unumgänglichen Camerata Lysy und dem «Sohn des Vaters», dem Pianisten Jeremy Menuhin. Die «Jungen Preisträger» sind während des Wochenendes zu entdecken: Der Violinist Charles Siem am Samstag in einer Matinee in der Kapelle Gstaad, und am nächsten Tag die Pianistinnen Audrey Vigoureux und Josiane Marfurt (Kiefer Hablitzel Preisträgerinnen) in der Kirche Gsteig.
Schwerpunkte der Woche
Vollständiges Programm
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
04.08.2008 |
 Two weeks – already! – the 52nd edition of the Menuhin Festival Gstaad under the theme “Joie de Vivre”. On Sunday the series “Tout le monde du violon” commenced under the ancient arches of the church in Rougemont with the Kopatchinskaja family. For the duration of the week until the “Grand Finale” on Friday string instruments will be in the spotlight on four outstanding evenings bringing together the most diverse elements. On Thursday, 7 August the cello is featured with Sol Gabetta together with the participation of recorder virtuoso Maurice Steger in a programme of “Baroque delights”. On Saturday, 9 August, it’s off to new shores with a “rising star”, cellist Maximilian Hornung performing Stravinsky, Beethoven and Saint-Saëns in Gstaad, accompanied by pianist Oliver Schnyder. And don’t forget Wednesday, 6 August, when the great baritone Thomas Hampson comes to Saanen to perform a Lied programme dedicated to Schumann, Mahler and Barber.
The week’s highlights
Complete programme
|
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
25.03.2008 |
 The enfant terrible of the violin never stops surprising! And while he recently pulls out his jazz violin more often – such as this summer in Gstaad – he also continues to astonish in the world of classical violin. Such as with his truly personal interpretation of Beethoven’s violin concerto in his new recording with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, which is coupled with his first recording of a Mozart concerto, the fourth, and a “home-brewed” arrangement of hard bop king Horace Silver’s famous “Creepin in”. This recording was just released by EMI Classics. And for “live” jazz with Kennedy in the festival tent you must wait patiently until 6 September. |
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
29.07.2008 |
 After a weekend of superlatives, particularly the world premiere on Saturday in Saanen of “The Old Church at Petäjävesi”, a commission for Olli Mustonen from the Menuhin Festival, Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and his friends will continue to reign during the week, but they by no means will be alone. The young Ebène Quartet, prizewinner of the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich in 2004, will also journey to Vers-l’Eglise on Tuesday, 29 July; in their baggage, a programme featuring Mozart, Debussy and Schumann. On Thursday, 31 July, violist Yuri Bashmet and his Moscow Soloists will fill the church in Saanen with an evening of string sonorities; highlights include Mozart’s Concertante for Violin and Viola as well as Tchaikovsky’s sublime Souvenir de Florence. And don’t forget the first of five “Tout le monde du violon” concerts on Sunday, 3 August. The performance will take place at the church in Rougemont and will feature the Kopatchinskaja family and pianist Michaela Ursuleasa in a colorful homage to Enesco (Menuhin’s teacher) and folk music.
The week’s highlights
Complete programme
|
|
|
Written by Andreas Herbst
|
|
14.01.2008 |
 Terre des Hommes: About our engagement for music and children, and our work in collaboration with the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad. Children as performersThe touching intensity of a Bangladeshi child singing for money from passers-by in the street, and the impact of 100 saxophone-playing youngsters on Bern's Federal Square, blowing with all their might to sound the charge on child trafficking, are just two examples of the fervor generated by music in children and young people. For thousands of years musicians have been using their voices and instruments to express the indescribable, inexplicable and incomprehensible. |
|
|
Written by Antonin Scherrer
|
|
03.03.2008 |
 The great Austrian pianist has decided to draw a close to his career at the end of this year after more than 60 years of performing. Along his journey he has also appeared in the Saanenland, leaving unforgettable moments, indelible traces, such as the four legendary soirées in 2004 or his last concert in Saanen on 5 August 2007. The communiqué states that Alfred Brendel “has always had the intention of retiring from the concert stage at the height of his abilities”. And the future? More time to write. We wish him fair winds on this new journey! And THANK YOU for everything! |
|
|
|
|
; "Valery Gergiev")
; "Angelika Kirchschlager")
; "Thomas Hampson")
; "Nigel Kennedy")
; "Patricia Kopatchinskaja")
; "Kinderkuenstler")
; "brendel_kl.jpg")
